Page 5 - MemoriaOBN-Eng

www.ciberobn.es

According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, 41 of the 64 mil-
lion people who will die in 2015 will die from chronic diseases. Pathologies

associated with obesity, such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular dis-

eases or metabolic syndrome will take up 80% of all healthcare expenditure
in the next 10 years.

As a result and due to the extremely high economic costs of the number of

pathologies associated with obesity for the Public Health Systems, the prob-

lem must be stopped in order to control its side effects. An inter- and multi-
disciplinary global networking structure of professionals who help fight this

worldwide epidemic is needed. The team would have to consist of specialists
from different fields, ranging from primary care physicians, endocrinologists,

nutritionists, psychologists, physical education teachers or political leaders.

Obesity is an individual and public chronic health issue that affects a consid-

erable number of people worldwide. It is the responsibility of all the social
agents involved to stop its expansion and to promote and maintain healthy

life habits in order to reverse the situation

Besides genetic factors, food-related cultural and environmental factors are

highly relevant in the development of obesity. In fact, a change in conven-
tional eating patterns can be seen today in Spain moving away from the

Mediterranean diet, which has a well-known beneficial effect on the preven-
tion of cardiovascular disease, to a diet with a higher animal fat intake. This

is causing an increase in cholesterol and cardiovascular risk levels at an in-

creasingly younger age. Another factor determining obesity is changes in life
habits and sedentary lifestyle, including physical exercise.

This is why it is so important to study nutrition and the changes to the ad-

vantages of the local “Mediterranean diet” as a key factor in cardiovascular

prevention and in being healthy.
One of our groups published PREDIMED study results in the New England

Journal of Medicine, the most widespread journal in the medical field, and

generated a considerable scientific and social impact. The publication is the
first documented evidence that components of the Mediterranean diet, such

as olive oil or dried fruits and nuts, reduce cardiovascular mortality. Curi-

ously, and despite the few months that have passed since publication, the
paper was the most read and most mentioned in the journal from among

about 9000 published papers.

Therefore, CIBER- Obesity and Nutritional Physiopathology will conduct re-
search (basic, clinical, epidemiological and health services research) and

technological development activities, in relation to the following:

13
• Obesity, nutrition and physical activity. 0
2
• Genetics of obesity. RT
PO
• Body weight homeostasis regulating factors. E
R
• Intracellular signaling in obesity. AL
U
• NN
Mediterranean diet and prevention of metabolic disorders. A
/
• Physiopathological factors in nutrition. Epidemiology of obesity. BN
O
• Childhood obesity and effect of gender on obesity.
ER
B
CI

5